Mingus Mead Cabin (Mingus Meade, Mingusville)

There is little known in the public realm regarding the Mingus Mead Cabin, a cabin that once stood on the southern side of the El Paso Mountains, near the site of the old ghost town of Goler, CA, and a World War II landing strip. What we do know is that the cabin burnt to the ground on the weekend of March 17th, 2012. The fire was likely caused by irresponsible campers, or maybe even arson. No formal report was published. Some speculate that the cabin was burnt down by the BLM. If that was the case, why would they have left the neighboring Dawson Cabin, which was/is in a far worst state of disrepair? For that matter, even the Edith E., located just a short way up Goler Gulch?

It also worth mentioning that this was not the first fire at the Mingus Mead. In November of 2005, a fire took the garage.

While I don’t really have anything new to add to the history of the mysterious cabin, I wanted to provide it with this brief memorial page. The three pictures that I have managed to located in my collection maybe the last images taken of the cabin. I shot them on March 9th, 2012, just eight days prior to the fire which ravaged it.

About the author

Jim Mattern

Jim is a scapegoat for the NPS, an author, adventurer, photographer, radio personality, guide, and location scout. His interests lie in Native American and cultural sites, ghost towns, mines, and natural wonders in the American Deserts.